The Donna Reed Show

Jeff gets a black eye from a boy who mocks Donnas acting in a local play. So, Donna tries to teach Jeff how to box.

Alex tries to prove his independence when Donna buys a suit for him.

A baby is abandoned at the Stone’s place.

Mary has a crush on the school basketball star, George, who wants to take her to the prom, but hasn’t asked her because he cant dance.

A problem child takes refuge at the Stone’s house, and Donna tries to get through to him.

When Donna longingly admires a lovely, expensive bag at a store, the saleswoman (along with a female friend of hers) schemes to coax Alex into getting it for her for a birthday gift. But Alex is suspicious that Donna is pulling the strings behind the scenes, instead of being forthright about it.

Donna searches for the mysterious person who puts on a Christmas party in the children’s ward at the hospital every year. The quintessential comedian Buster Keaton guest stars.

After nosy neighbor Mrs. Wilgus (the inimitable Kathleen Freeman) alerts Donna and Alex about Mary having a noisy party while they were out, the kids get lectured about being the children of a doctor, and that they should behave accordingly. Not too long after this, Jeff takes a ride from Marys troublemaker friend Tommy Hendricks, who doesnt have a license and has taken his fathers car out for a joyride, and they get into a minor accident while fleeing a cop.

Mr. Popkin wont let Alex treat Joey because he has no money. So, Donna hires him to do repairs around the house, but Alex fires him. Then Donna tries another method to help him get the finances he needs.

When Mary comes home utterly dejected from a terrible first date, Donna and Alex each, in “Rashomon”-style, tell her about their first date.

Donna and Alex help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wilbur & Celia Wilgus, only for Donna to get caught up in a misunderstanding later.

David Barker is brought to Alex to be treated for rabies, and is invited to stay the night. Later, Jeff is left in charge of David, as everyone else will be gone.

Mary drives her family crazy, and worries her mother, in her quest to win the class vice-presidency.

When Buzz Barry, teenage idol (played by James Darren), comes to Hilldale to sing at a concert, he falls ill with the measles and the concert is canceled, leaving Mary and her friends devastated. Then he ends up staying at the Stone’s home to recuperate, causing unexpected complications.

Alexs roommate, Biff Jameson, comes to Hilldale, and though he charms the family and dazzles Jeff, Alex confesses to Donna that his old pal seems to be off from what he used to be.

Alex takes advantage of a tip on the market, and Donna and the kids start making plans for the expected profit.

The family searches for a compatible housekeeper to help around the house while Donna manages a charity campaign.

When Mary and George get in a fight over him and her best friend Babs, Donna advises her on how to handle the situation.

Donna is too excited to sleep because Alex is giving a speech at a convention. While trying to sleep on the plane, Alex gives Donna a tranquilizer to help her sleep, which leads to an embarrassing chain of events.

Jeffs friend Doug keeps getting him into trouble at school, and Jeff silently takes the blame for him because he knows Dougs mother constantly picks on him and wonders why he cant be more like Jeff, who behaves like an innocent cherub at their house.

Mary wants to meet a boy, so she talks Jeff into going to his kid sisters party.

Donna mistakenly accepts an invitation to culture vulture Lydia Langleys cocktail party, at which Lydia mentions that she also conducts a book discussion group. She goads Donna into joining it and then reporting on Tolstoys "War and Peace" at her first meeting. Donna then attempts to immerse the whole family in culture.

Jeffs friend, Phillip, has a problem. He wants to play football, but his mother is over-protective and wont let him.

Dilemma in the Stone household: How to discipline the children without having Donna look like a villian by meting out the punishments, or having Donna look like a squealer when Alex does .

Alex and Donna chaperone Marys date with a college man.

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Little David Barker is very excited. His father is getting married and he hopes this means he can leave military school and live in a real home, but things dont work out the way David thought they would.

Alexs Uncle Dan takes a break from traveling all over the world. Jeff likes the idea of going to Alaska, Saudi Arabia, Malaya, Australia, and doing whatever he wants, just like Uncle Dan. Jeff decides to join him. Will Donna and Alex allow him to go? Would you believe, yes?

Jeff and his friends get into trouble when they are discovered using an abandoned house as a hang-out. This prompts Donna and the other mothers to create a nice meeting place for the children.

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Alexs wild room-mate from college is getting married, and Alex is invited to the bachelor party. Donna doesnt like this idea at all.

While Alex was the ""belle of the ball"" with his fantastic dancing at the Womans Medical Auxiliary Dance, the dance cost more to produce than the income from ticket sales provided. Each member agrees to contribute $27 using her skills in moneymaking to make up the budget shortfall. Donna will sell 54 jars of her famous pickle recipe at fifty cents per jar and donate the money to the Auxiliary. Will Donnas plan work?

Donna is away and Alex has to manage the house and children.

Jeff starts swapping possessions to pay off a debt. Zack: Mike Montgomery. Mrs. Pruitt: Marjorie Winters. Alvin: Mike Peters. Sprague: Percy Helton. Paul Petersen.

Donna and Alex have different stories about how they first met. Also Donna plays matchmaker to a new doctor in town and a pretty nurse at the hospital.

Sixteen- year-old Petie is home from military school and visiting the Stone family. Petie and Mary have been friends for years, but seeing how beautiful Mary has become, he would now like to be more than just friends. As Alex puts it, ""springtime has come to Petie!"" How can Petie catch Marys eye?

Jeff wants to keep a cat that followed him home, so can Harry the Cat stay? The Stone family will decide by using the democratic process.

A lady spots Donna and Mary having lunch in a restaurant, so she stops to say hello. She recognized Donna, even though ""its been 13 years."" Donna doesnt recognize her but is polite and too embarrassed to ask her name. Later, Donna realizes she must find out who the mystery woman was.

Nick the Greek is the handyman at the Stones house. Hes still learning how to write English, so he asks Jeff for help in writing a love letter to his girlfriend. Later, Mary finds this love letter in Jeffs handwriting and wonders if Jeff is involved in a new romance.

Mary is enamored with the new boy at school, Elroy! Why? Because he reminds her so much of what her dad must have been like as a teenager. Alex cant see the resemblance at all.

Alex is cited for his research in a Medical Journal article that he tries to read throughout the whole episode, but hes constantly interrupted. Mary gives up boys when Roger and Elroy let a coin toss decide which one will play tennis with her. She decides to become a scientist. Boys are back in her life when she discovers the new boy Stanley mowing their yard and conducting a science project at the same time.

The tables are turned as Alex becomes a hospital patient, and a difficult one at that.

Mary is so indecisive, always asking her mother about what clothes to wear which boys to date. Tonight though, she starts making her own decisions when she, Roger, and Larry go out on the town. They go to the Hungry Onion coffeehouse and listen to poetry. They get into money troubles with dinner at the Flamingo Club, and thats when Mary makes the right decision.

Jeff wants a motor scooter like Gordie just got, but Alex wont agree to that. Gordie shows off his riding skill until he drives the scooter into a tree in the Stones front yard. Gordie proceeds to fake a leg injury that puts him in Jeffs bed overnight, with Donna taking care of him. Why would Gordie do that? Does it have anything to do with his new stepmother or his dad giving him anything he wants? Does Donna have an idea about how to help Gordies mom with this problem? You bet she does!

When Donnas letter-to-the-editor about parents needing to make sure that their children follow through by finishing what they start gets published, it prompts Donna to follow through herself. Now Mary cant play tennis till she finds her lost jacket and returns a library book, and Jeff cant rest till he finds the tire pump he borrowed from a friend.

Donna and Alex remember their honeymoon and this wonderful musical tobacco jar for Alex. When the jar is broken, unknown to one another Donna and Mary buy an identical replacement, Alex also finds another one, while Jeff glues the original tobacco jar back together! The Stones now own 3 musical tobacco jars!

Donna fills in for the director of Marys drama group when he is called to Hollywood for a part in a movie.

The new doctor has a Japanese Geisha girl for a wife. She is constantly seeing to her husbands needs, cant do enough for him. The married couples of Hilldale have a difficult time adjusting to her. Leave it to Donna to ""Americanize"" her in matters of wifely duties.

While driving through Hilldale, Tony Martin is arrested for speeding by a policeman using radar. He knows he wasnt speeding, but figures hell just pay the fine and be on his way. In court, Tony sees Donna fighting a parking meter violation and insisting on a jury trial rather than pay a $2 fine. Tony decides to ask for a jury trial, too. Its a matter of man versus machine: is the parking meter keeping correct time or did Donna? Was the radar unit accurate or not? Will popular singer Tony Martin sing a song in this episode? Yes!

Donna and her friend consider opening a poodle parlor where owners can bring their poodles to get clipped and buy them fancy accessories. The husbands think the whole idea is ludicrous which make the ladies all the more determined to succeed.

Dr. Steinhaus is retiring as the head of the Board of Health. Donna thinks this is the perfect opportunity for Alex to have a position that offers him more regular hours and she intends to help him get it.

The piano becomes a ""parking lot"" with everyone dropping things on it, like books, the newspaper, so Alex decides to sell it. All of a sudden Mary has a problem with that idea and wont let it go. Shell start practicing again, every day. It turns out a boy shed like to date just loves to play the piano!

A story about every married couples dilemma: what decisions can a husband make on his own and which require a conference for his wifes permission? Like Alex and Joe, who tell the guys they will go fishing and they dont need to ask their wives. But see, Joe has a system: he bribes his wife Myra with an expensive gift first. Now Alex, on the other hand, faces an episode-long issue with Donna about this matter. Does he resort to a bribe, too?

The school bully, Jocko, makes fun of Jeff being in the choir. Jeff starts ""pumping iron"" because it looks like there will be a fight. Can Mr. Trestles sage advice possibly do Jeff and the guys any good and stop the conflict?

Scotty, smitten by Mary, agrees to teach Mary how to drive. Oh boy! Does he have his hands full! Will their romantic friendship last through this experience?

Mary and Mark decide to have a Saturday nursery school (i.e., day care) to earn enough money to paint Marks car. Alex, on the other hand, would like to sleep late on Saturday morning, unaware of the bedlam thats about to take place!

Jeff needs help with his poetry homework and Mary is there to help. Unfortunately, the poetry does not sound like Jeff wrote it.

Iris advises Donna that its up to the wife to keep the marriage going with surprises and changes every now and then. When Iris goes from blond to black hair, Donna decides to go Platinum Blond! But once she comes home with her new hair color, she decides not to show it to Alex. She avoids him and quickly changes it back to the color it was whew! What a close call!

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Donna and Alex get involved in their friends marital problems.

Newspaper-delivery boy Jeff decides to go into business. Paul Petersen, Carl Betz, Shelley Fabares. Bill: Skippy Shane. Craig: Stephen Barringer.

Alex applies his child psychology to his own offspring. Carl Betz, Paul Petersen, Shelley Fabares. Dave: Lindsay Workman. Alma: Dorothy Lovett.

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A meek boy tries to prove hes the toughest kid in school. Barlow: John Clifford. Mrs. Crawford: Holly Harris. Zack: Paul Engle. Paul Petersen, Carl Betz.

Jeff sells his possessions to buy his girl a present. Angie: Candy Moore. Roger: Stephen Hammer.

Mary decides to forsake college and embark on a singing career.

Alex moves his pediatric practice out of the house and into a new office downtown.

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Alex and Jeff build a cart for the Hilldale 500. Carl Betz, Paul Petersen. Gordie: Darryl Richard. Angie: Candy Moore.

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To earn money, Jeff sells an advertising scheme to a shop. Paul Petersen, Carl Betz, Varney: Paul Tripp.

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Mary cant understand why her brother Jeff is being so polite to her - unless there is some ulterior motive behind his good behavior.

Trying to save enough money to build a boat, Jeff and Smitty make a pact to give up dating. Then Jeff finds Marys friend Joanne hiding under his bed.

Mary decides its time to leave home, and moves into the college dormitory.

Jeff discovers a lost bird.He thinks it might be a rare cockatoo and sends the story to the newspapers and audobon societies-only to find out that the bird is really a cockateel,not quite a cockatoo.

Mary succeeds in helping a shy boy she knows become a singing star.

Everyone chips in to buy the elderly baby doctor a new car.

Jeff has a moral dilemma. He won a sports car with a raffle ticket he picked up off the ground after the original owner dropped it. Does Jeff keep the car or does he track down the original ticket holder?

After a conversation with a telephone lineman, Jeff decides that its about time he becomes independent himself. He tests himself by going to a strange town without any money to see whether or not he can make it on his own.

When Donna decides to run for town council, Jeff and Mary agree to take care of the house. And how! But when Alex dreams about Donnas political future, as Mayor, perhaps Governor, he decides hed rather have her back home again.

A boyfriend of Marys calls her wholesome,and she doesnt know weather to take it as a compliment or an insult.

Mary learns the joys and pains of having a little sister,as she has to baby-sit Trisha on a night when shed planned to go on a date.

Alex and Jeff spend the weekend at the cabin of Alexs friend Red. Donna and Mary follow them and prove that women can, ""rough it"" in the wilderness as well as men can.

The Stones all end up at Shelter Bay during ""mid-term vacation"", better known today as ""Spring Break"". Mary doesnt know the rest of the family is there; she thought it was just her and her girlfriends. Donna, Jeff, and Alex get to stay on a fishing boat named ""Big Daddy"", and boy, does Donna hook a big one!

A new boy at college has taken a shine to Mary. To Marys consternation, he follows her everywhere and scares off any other boy who approaches her. Mary decides to find him another girl to protect.

Dr.Dave Kelsey,who has been more and more frustrated by his in-laws(or outlaws as he calls them)moves into the house next door with his wife Midge.Midge is a neophyte when it comes to household chores,so for the first week or so Donna helps her all she can-and Dave is truly grateful that the Stones have helped both of them settle down.

Pitcher Don Drysdale appears in this episode along with his real-life wife and daughter. On a trip to Chicago, Jeff is excited about seeing his pal, Don Drysdale, again. He is supposed to get an interview with Don for the school paper. Jeffs excitement turns to disappointment when it appears that Don Drysdale cant deliver the interview.

Jeff buys an old bus at an auction and plans to use it as a school bus. However, it breaks down the first day-and no one can fix it. Trisha loves playing like shes driving the bus while wearing a bus-drivers hat. Mary is so worried because she had planned a party that night. Donna decides to decorate the bus-so it became part of the party.